More than one-in-four believe global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes.
Vancouver, BC [August 18, 2023] – The proportion of Canadians who think humans are responsible for global warming has dropped over the past year, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 60% of Canadians think climate change is a fact and is mostly caused by emissions from vehicles and industrial facilities, down nine points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in August 2022.
More than one-in-four Canadians (27%, +7) think global warming is a fact and is mostly caused by natural changes, while 8% (+3) say climate change is a theory that has not yet been proven.
“More than four-in-five Canadians who voted for the Liberal Party (82%) or the New Democratic Party (NDP) (81%) in the 2021 federal election say climate change is mostly caused by emissions,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Only 47% of Conservative Party voters feel the same way.”
More than tree-in-five residents of Atlantic Canada (63%), Quebec (also 63%) and Ontario (61%) think global warming is human-made. The proportions are lower in British Columbia (58%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (55%) and Alberta (52%).
More than three-in-five Canadians (63%, -5) describe climate change as a “major crisis”—a proportion that rises to 71% among Canadians aged 55 and over and to 74% among Quebecers.
When it comes to dealing with issues related to climate change that are happening or impacting people directly now, two thirds of Canadians think governments (68%, -1), as well as companies and corporations (also 68%, -7), should be doing more. Significantly fewer (58%, -9) believe individuals and consumers should also be playing a larger role.
When asked about actions that could be taken now to curb the impact of climate change in the future, the responses are similar. About two thirds of Canadians want companies and corporations (68%, -8) and governments (67%, -5) to do more, while fewer (60%, -8) think this is also the responsibility of individuals and consumers.
Just over three-in-five parents (61%, -24) claim to recycle more after conversations with their children motivated them to do so. Fewer parents are engaging in other behaviours, such as taking shorter showers (36%, -11) or driving less than usual (35%, -20).
Methodology: Results are based on an online study conducted from July 22 to July 24, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490 [e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca